Archive » July 19, 2012

Termites infest Santa Ynez High School attic

On a mission to investigate the extent of roof repairs needed, a swarm of termites were discovered in the attic of the administration building at the high school.

The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Board met on July 17 and was advised of the situation. The building will be tented soon, said superintendent Paul Turnbull. It is just another of the many facility issues the campus is facing.

Former superintendent Dean Anders has volunteered to be the honorary chair of the Measure L2012 Campaign Committee – the bond measure that will be on the November ballot. “We will be announcing the other members of the committee in the coming weeks” said Turnbull.

Anders has been involved in numerous local organizations in the Valley for decades, Turnbull explained. “He is an outstanding spokesman for the high school and the youth of the Santa Ynez Valley, and we are fortunate to have his support throughout the upcoming bond campaign.”

The school’s business manager, Nicole Evenson, has been identifying possible state matching funds for facility renovation and modernization the school might be entitled to if the bond passes. Later in the evening, the board approved the resolution necessary for Evenson to begin the application process.

Turnbull explained where the ever-changing financial planning in Sacramento stands at the moment, noting that the school’s decision to create a budget assuming the district will be “going it alone” increasingly looks to be the best financial decision that could have been made.

The present budget will keep the school above water even if no dollars are received from the state, though it will be tight, said Turnbull who received a positive year-end evaluation during the closed session.

The board unanimously approved the renewal of his contract with some significant changes. “In no way is our doing so a signal of any displeasure in your performance,” said board president Bruce Porter. “It’s just one of those things that had to be done in these hard times.”

The board froze Turnbull’s salary at the 2011-12 pay rate of $198,320 plus benefits and removed the provisions in his contract for annual automatic step increases. They also decreased his vacations days by five per year, said trustee Christine Burtness.

The board also increased the top administrator’s responsibilities to include fundraising and providing extra supervision at Refugio High School without additional compensation. The district will no longer provide life insurance for Turnbull.